Sears considering NC

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Does anyone know about this possibility? There is stiff competition from other states and Sears has fallen on tough times, but with over 6000 jobs at its current campus in suburban Illinois, it could be one of the biggest relocations in this state's history, a real coup. Plus, one can dream of a Willis-esque tower rising over Charlotte!

If Sears comes to NC most naturally assume Charlotte would likely land Sears and that may be true but I think Raleigh has a shot at it too and maybe even the Triad. Currently the Sears headquarters is located in an office park setting in Suburban Chicago and if they come to NC that doesn't mean they will build a tower in a downtown setting. Suburban office park locations are cheaper and with the financial problems Sears has had over recent years they may look at a suburban location in NC. But there is nothing that says Sears has to move to the largest city in the state. In fact it may benefit Sears to operate in an area where the cost of living is lower.

There are a lot of things that have to happen first. Sears may not leave the Chicago area at all. Local leaders there are working on a plan to keep Sears there. The company has been in Chicago for over a hundred years so the company isn't going to take moving lightly. Even if they move, other states are on the short list and they may offer more incentives than NC. Texas is one of those states and its a state that has more resources. With a GOP controlled congress in NC it may be difficult to put together a competitive incentive package. Republicans historically balk at incentives.

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If (and that's a big if) Sears does leave Chicago and heads to another state, one thing that will not happen is Sears building a new office tower. Some have mentioned it in this thread and other threads. They'll go to an existing office park.